Eureka Springs, located in the Southern Ozarks, is a hidden pearl that meeting planners are thrilled to discover; adjacent to the booming I-49 corridor of Northwest Arkansas.   Many planners have referred to Eureka as “ideal” for small meetings and corporate retreats.  A few of the reasons for this positive feedback are…

 

LOCATION – Just 45 minutes from the Interstate 49 corridor (Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, Bella Vista), it is close enough for attendees working in that area to enjoy easy access but far enough away where they won’t run home or back to the office between sessions.  Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) is only 49 miles away for those speakers, delegates and attendees who are flying in.  (By the way, XNA now has numerous non-stop flights to/from such airports as DFW, ORD, LAX, CLT, LGA, ATL, CVG, MSP, EWR, IAH, SFO, DEN and soon DCA.)  If delegates are driving in, they will find they are only 3.5 hours from Little Rock, 3 hours from Tulsa, 4 hours from Kansas City, and 2 hours from Springfield MO.

 

HIGHER ATTENDANCE – Eureka Springs is in such a naturally beautiful setting with so many eclectic things to see and do, meeting planners have stated that events held here get maximum attendance since it seems everyone wants to get away to Eureka.  With Eureka Springs being a condensed community, the more than a hundred bars, bistros, restaurants, shops, and art galleries are only a few minutes’ walk from any headquarters hotel.  This allows delegates to enjoy experiences outside the hotel’s meeting space during free times.  Many delegates choose to bring spouses and/or families to enjoy a few days of vacation in Eureka Springs before or after the scheduled dates of the meeting or retreat.

 

UNIQUE FACILITIES – Despite being a historic town (the entire city is on the National Register of Historic Places), hotels that specialize in small meetings and retreats provide delegates with a blend of required technology, interesting and diverse meeting space, plus top shelf meeting accoutrements to ensure a successful meeting.  These hotels also have the charm, food quality and professional service that reflect their community’s reputation as a hospitality mecca. Visit the Basin Park Hotel or 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa.

 

WELL-FED DELEGATES – Food truly matters to delegates/attendees, so the local hotels balance their culinary food and beverage high-end demand during their busy weekend wedding market (Eureka Springs is known as “The Wedding Capitol of The South”) with weekday demands from the meeting market.  Exquisite food service and presentation is noticeably a notch above the norm.  Eureka Springs is a well-respected foodee village.

 

SETTING – Eureka Springs meet expectations for indoor meetings.  A relaxed local environment allows creative outdoor meeting and/or activities for recreation or team building to far exceed expectations.  Acres of open space, miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, and two lakes and three rivers open up a whole new opportunity for planners to “think outside the box” for that Wow! agenda.

 

AFFORDABILITY – Planners are pleasantly surprised at the affordability of Eureka Springs as a meeting and retreat site especially during weekdays.  Many meeting hotels offer a discount of up to 35 percent off regular rates during these days making it much less expensive than most competitive markets.

 

For more information, go

ArkansasMeetings.com,